If it doesn't taste good, why eat it?

vegetarian

One recent weekend Neil and I were invited to a small gathering where the theme of the night was soup. The basic idea being that the hostess makes two or three varieties of soup to choose from, someone brings bread, someone else brings handheld nibbles, and we eat, drink, and are merry, then run outside into the cold New England evening to watch the annual Torchlight Parade (several towns trim their fire trucks out in Christmas lights and parade down the main thoroughfare).

Since bread had been accounted for, as had corn muffins, southern style red beans & rice, and three varieties of soup, I decided to bring cookies. While at lunch that afternoon Neil commented “I wish that there were such a thing as carrot cake cookies.” and it was decided that was what we’d make. What I did to create this recipe was look at existing carrot cake cookie recipes, then cross some of my favorite elements with our family recipe for carrot cake which includes the likes of shredded coconut and fresh pineapple. The result was a chewy cookie with a creamy and not-too-sweet filling that was very well received by party-goers.

Ingredients

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)

1/2 cup raisins (I like to use a variety: Thompson, red flame, and golden)

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup fresh pineapple, diced (see note if using canned pineapple)

1/8 cup coconut flour

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup honey

zest of 1/2 a lemon

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried at least 10 different recipes for granola- each of them ok, but not something that you want to make… and then make again. With this recipe I’ve tweaked it a few times until I found the balance that makes me happy. It’s slightly crunchy, a little salty, it has the chew factor, it has texture, the little bit of sweet offered up by the dried fruits, and a teeny bit of heat, ’cause, well, why not? So without further adiue….

While flipping through my most recent edition of National Geographic Traveler I came across this 1-page article on Socca (chickpea flour crepes). Seeing as the picture indicated that this Socca (which I had never heard of before) was a food, I decided to read on. The ingredient list was simple: chickpea flour, water, olive oil, salt. The intent seemed ideal: to be in rough shards, eaten with your fingers. How could I go wrong? So I tried it.

The batter is fairly thin- much like crepe.

Socca batter

There are several options for cooking these- under a broiler (in a fry pan), on a very hot baking stone, stove top. I opted to make my first three on a baking stone, preheated in a 500 degree oven, and the last in a cast iron pan so that I could see the difference.

Broiled socca: crispy edges and nicely cooked center

I served these as a gluten-free flatbread type of side to lemon-pepper chicken and green salads topped with crispy-fried mushrooms, roasted red peppers and cheddar cheese.

Whisk together the chickpea flour, water, olive oil, garlic, thyme, and salt. Let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to several hours

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees with a baking stone in it

Give the batter a quick whisk and ladle a quarter of it into the skillet

Switch the oven to Broil and let it go for 5-10 minutes, until the top is browned and the socca is cooked in the middle (yet still tender) and crispy around the edges. Use a spatula to remove it from the stone

Never in my life, until just over a year ago, had I known so many people with food allergies. Now I have adopted an entire family full 🙂 (and I love them all) and have several friends with them as well. There are allergies to spices, some to raw fruits and veggies, to gluten, to tree nuts, to peanuts, to dairy, and the list goes on. Then there are the folks who make life choices to exclude certain foods- people who eat paleo, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, etc. All of this adds up to challenge the “foodie” at each party. You want to bring a dish that looks good, tastes great, and that everyone will be able to partake in. It can be a little crazy, but I’m up for the challenge.

This particular recipe is an adaptation of the Rocky cookie which tastes a bit more tropical and uses no peanut butter. It’s for Sheila and Michael as she loves her healthy foods and he doesn’t breathe so well when peanut products are near him 😉

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup steel cut oats

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour (or oat flour)

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

Sprinkle of sea salt

Handful of bittersweet chocolate chunks

Handful of raisins

Handful of chopped dates

Handful of cashews

Handful of shredded coconut

Handful of dried pineapple

Handful of wheat germ

Handful of flax seed meal

Handful of sunflower seeds

1 egg

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/4 cup molasses

¾ cup plain, unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

a well-ripened banana

1 large scoop of Tahini

Preheat the oven to 375

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix

Scoop the batter by the tablespoon onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (cookies will not spread)

Bake for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven). You want a finished cookie that is golden brown around the edges and a bit on top

If you’re in the market for a warm vegetable stew with luscious spices which will reheat well, then I’ve got a dish for you. This is a very mild curry (which you could heat up with some cayanne and/or crushed red pepper if that’s your preference) and it has notes of cinnamon from the garam masala. If that’s not your thing, you could use your favorite pre-made curry spice mixture rather than what’s listed here. This dish can easily stand on its own as a vegetarian main, or be served alongside some lovely spiced yogurt chicken (as Neil and I had it).

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils

1/4 cup tomato puree

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 cup mushrooms, sliced thickly

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated

4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

4 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Rinse the lentils well and place them in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes

Drain and set aside

In a bowl, stir together the tomato puree and yogurt. Season with garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and chile powder

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat

Add the onion, green beans and mushrooms; cooking until the onion begins to brown

Add in the garlic and ginger and stir for a minute- until you really begin to smell them

Stir in the spinach; cook until it’s dark green and wilted

Add the yogurt mixture and stir until incorporated

Mix in the tomatoes and cilantro

Stir the lentils and garbanzo beans into mixture until well combined and heated through, about 5 minutes